Hormuz Strait to remain shut until U.S. meets interim deal conditions, Iran says

DUBAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) – The Strait of Hormuz will remain shut until the U.S. meets the conditions of an interim deal signed with Iran in June, the top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in comments published by state media on Tuesday.

These conditions include the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions, releasing Tehran’s frozen assets, and ending threats and military operations on all fronts, Qalibaf told parliament.

The memorandum of understanding, clinched on June 17, quickly unravelled over a dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the deal was “over” on July 7 and a week later Iran’s foreign ministry declared it “suspended”.

Under the MoU, Iran and the U.S. had committed to negotiating a final deal — covering broader issues such as the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme — in a maximum of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday  that Iran would now shift to a “fully offensive” posture due to the stalled diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict.

(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Michael Georgy and Gareth Jones)